Governance Structures

The Corporation of Haverford College is the entity that officially owns the College and which serves to enrich the College through a commitment to its Quaker heritage. However, College governance is primarily vested in the Board of Managers—which consists of 33 members (including the President of the College), often alumni or friends of the College, 11 of whom are also members of the Corporation. Board members are guided the Board Operating Procedures and the College bylaws. Day-to-day governance is ceded to the President of the College, appointed by the Board of Managers, who delegates responsibility among the senior officers of the College—Senior Staff.

Haverford is an institution deeply committed to self-governance. Faculty, students, and staff all have significant governance responsibilities. The primary mechanisms through which various College constituents share in governance activities are listed below:

Faculty

The Faculty participates in College governance through its Standing Committees and other governance support structures as follows:

Educational Policy Committee (EPC—Curriculum Committee)
The faculty as a whole has the major responsibility for determining educational policy. The functions of the Educational Policy Committee, acting within the framework of the accepted educational philosophy of the College, are to oversee educational policy in general and the curriculum in particular. It also advises the Provost on tenure-line searches.

Committee on Student Standing and Programs (CSSP)
The Committee on Student Standing and Programs reviews individual students' academic progress. In this function, it deals with those who are in academic difficulties and those who are working well below potential. When an individual student's academic standing is in question, the Committee first attempts to develop a program to aid in improving the quality of the student's work.

Committee on College Honors, Fellowships and Prizes
The Committee makes recommendations to the faculty on the award of Honors (Magna and Summa) to students at graduation. It interprets the criteria set by the faculty for College Honors and establishes suitable procedures for the selection of students. The Committee also makes recommendations to the faculty on the awarding of scholarships and prizes. It has the responsibility of ensuring that students are informed of their availability. Finally, Committee members assist the Dean of the College in selecting applicants for certain outside fellowships (Rhodes, Marshall, Watson, Fulbright, etc.)

The Administrative Advisory Committee (AAC--Budget Committee)
The Administrative Advisory Committee offers advice to the President and other senior administrators on all matters relating to the financial health and operation of the College. This responsibility includes:

Participation in the preparation of the annual budget for the coming fiscal year and a review of the previous year's performance. As part of this process, AAC reviews data pertaining to all of the major areas of revenue and expenditure and gives its advice as to the proper balance between competing needs.

Review of progress towards the College's long term plans;

Review of general salary and fringe benefit policies;

Advice on planning for and maintenance of the College's buildings and grounds;

Review of the College's development priorities and plans.

The AAC membership includes one faculty member from each division (of whom one is chair and one is designated chair-elect), three students, two representatives of the Staff Association, one representative of the Dean's office, the Vice President for Finance and Administration and the Associate VP for Finance, the Provost and the Associate Provost, and the President ex officio.

Committee on Admission
The Committee on Admission oversees operative recruitment policies, priorities, and practices. In pursuit of these objectives, the committee will inform the faculty about and involve them in the admissions process and enhance communication and the sharing of information between the faculty and the Admission Office. In light of college-wide goals and objectives, the committee will undertake continuing explorations of ways to enhance Haverford’s recruitment and admissions policies and practices, in conjunction with the President, the Admission Office, and the Board of Managers.

Faculty Affairs and Planning Committee
In recent years, the faculty created a new committee known as the Faculty Affairs and Planning Committee. In 2012-13, this committee is in its third year of a four-year pilot. FAPC collects, distills, and articulates faculty views on a variety of issues that matter to the Faculty, and develops proposals to address problems or concerns shared by the faculty.

Council of Chairs
The Council of Chairs assembles the faculty chairs of the major governance committees (EPC, AAC, FAPC, and Faculty Representatives to the Board) with the President and the Provost each semester to discuss coordination of agendas and to increase communication and synergistic activities among these deliberative bodies.

Department Chairs
Key responsibilities for academic department chairs include staffing and budgetary projections, evaluation of junior colleagues, and general department administrative functions. Department chairs take the lead on program assessment and student learning assessment activities. Chairs meet with the Provost and Associate Provost once per semester, or as necessary, to exchange ideas and discuss common concerns.

Staff

Both Exempt (Administrative/Professional) and Non-Exempt (Hourly) staff members participate in College governance, as members of faculty standing committees and ad hochiring committees for administrative leadership positions. In addition, Staff leadership is organized to respond to Staff interests through the Staff Association, an organization to which every College employee (with the exception of administrators and faculty) is entitled to membership.

Students

Student self-governance is represented in the formal structures described below. However, students are also represented on most of the faculty governance committees listed above, and participate in ad hoc hiring committees for faculty members, high-level administrators (e.g., President, Librarian, Dean), and significant planning committees (e.g., Middle States review, Master Planning Committee, etc.).

Students' Council: Students' Council is an elected body that advocates on behalf of students, serves as representatives to the Board of Managers, appoints students to all major committees at the College, and distributes the activities budget to all student clubs and groups.

Honor Council: Honor Council is an elected body of 16 students, four from each class year, who are elected for year-long terms, that considers potential violations of the Honor Code and decides how to proceed. In addition, Honor Council is responsible for administration and outreach aspects of the Honor Code within the community.

Alumni

Haverford alumni may continue to participate in College governance activities through the Alumni Association, particularly its Executive Committee. The Alumni Association Executive Committee (AAEC) works with the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Office to coordinate fundraising and alumni-centered activities. The AAEC is represented at quarterly meetings of the Board of Managers, and on Presidential Search Committees.